"Ha" in Hatha Yoga

 Today we explore "Ha" ह.  Yesterday, I/we explored the "tha" part of Hatha Yoga. "Ha" represents the Sun among many, many other things.  Today is the day before the Sun starts to come back (Winter Solstice) so it is a fitting day to explore this side of Yoga. 

Let us look at the quotes again:

In one translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradpika of Svatmarama (written around the 15th century codifying older teachings) BKS Iyengar writes the forward.  In it he says:

“Hatha means willpower, resoluteness and perseverance; and Hatha yoga is the path that develops these qualities and leads one, towards emancipation. The word hatha is composed of two syllables: ha and tha. Ha stands for the seer, the Self, the soul (purusa), and for the sun (Surya) and the inbreath (prana).Tha represents nature (prakrti), consciousness (citta), the moon (chandra) and the outbreath (apana). Yoga, as already noted, means union. Hatha yoga, therefore, means the union of purusa with prakrti, consciousness with the soul, the sun with the moon, and prana with apana"1

Another commentary, which is similar, is from Swami Muktibodhananda discussing the first Sloka (verse):

“The moon [Tha] is the mental energy of chitta. It is the subtle force which is concerned with the mental layers. The pranic force [Ha] is like the sun, dynamic and active.The two create the extremities of introversion and extroversion. It is the practice of hatha yoga which enables the fluctuations between these two energies to become harmonious and unified into one force [Hatha].."2

 “Hatha”is often translated as “forceful” more on that later. 

Iyengar and Swami Muktibodhananda Highlight:

Seer/Self/Soul/Purusa/Purusha -- Spirit, Male, Cosmic Consciousness, the Observer 1

Surya/Sun -- The god who gives light to the worlds, son of Adit, the Divine Mother, rides a chariot ... In Yoga Asana practice there is Suryanamaskar (Bowing /Paying Respect to the Sun) a series of poses to which also warm the body. 

Prana/Inbreath. Iyengar says this while Swami Muktibodhananda says "Prana vayu is related to ida, apana to pingala"(p 155)

Swami Muktibodhananda adds more in this quote and in his commentary:

Pingala Nadi -- Right side of the body, left side of the Brain, right nostril, conscious and dynamic functions of the mind

Shiva/Siva  -- Inner Consciousness, creative force of Consciousness, Conscious Unconsciousness, Pure Consciousness, our Highest Capacity

Rajas -- dynamic

Parasympathetic Nervous System -- Rest and Digest

See previous post on “tha”. Coming up on Instagram and Facebook I will cover the poses in a Hatha Yoga Pradipika.  

1.The Wisdom Library, See Purusha and Surya

2.Hatha Yoga Pradipika Introduction by B K S Iyengar Commentary by Hans Ulrich Rieker Translated by Elsy Becherer This edition published by The Aquarian Press 1992 13579108642 English translation © Herder and Herder, Inc., an imprint of Crossroad/Continuum, Inc. Illustrations by Stephen Sturgess (p4)

3. Hatha Yoga Pradipika Light on Hatha Yoga Including the original Sanskrit text of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika with translation in English Commentary by Swami Muktibodhananda Under the Guidance of Swami Satyananda SaraswatiYoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India © Bihar School of Yoga 1985, 1993, 1998 (p23)